Episode Details

Astronomers have uncovered a stunning ten-sided atmospheric swirl, a decagon, dancing near Saturn’s south pole — mirroring the iconic hexagon at its north pole. Captured by Hubble, this colossal cloud formation spans wider than Earth and moves slower than a snail, while the surrounding jet stream races at 260 mph. After years of searching, aided by amateur astronomers and confirmed by Hubble data, scientists now believe these shapes are atmospheric waves trapped by Saturn’s swirling jet streams — with the number of coiled currents dictating whether we see a hex or a dec. But mysteries remain: how deep do they go? How long will they last? And what sparked their birth? Up next: Hubble and James Webb will join forces with advanced models to decode Saturn’s cosmic ballet.

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